Idiot's Delight

10.11.14 at 12:00pm by WFUV StaffZee Avi (courtesy of the artist, Facebook.com)

Are you a longtime acolyte or a new convert to Vin Scelsa's "Idiot's Delight"®? Wherever you may fall in that spectrum, tonight at 8 you'll have the chance to support Vin and his legendary freeform show. During this special FUV fundraising edition, Vin has set aside some eclectic selections from Malaysian artist Zee Avi, Grant McLennan, Karen O, Maggie Björklund, the Flying Burrito Brothers and much more ... reflections for an early autumn night. Please support FUV and "Idiot's Delight"® by calling 877-938-8907 or by contributing online at WFUV.org.

10.4.14 at 7:00am by Vin ScelsaJeffrey Dean Foster (courtesy of the artist, Facebook.com)

At 8 tonight on "Idiot's Delight"®, there are two exciting elements of the show for me: A new CD arrived at Studio V yesterday from Jeffrey Dean Foster, a songwriter from Nashville who I've admired since he was in a band called The Pinetops. His solo album Million Star Hotel was one of my favorite albums from the mid-oughts. I've been waiting for a follow-up since 2005 and it is finally here! It's entitled The Arrow and you can bet you'll be hearing lots of it this fall on "Idiot's Delight."® I'll also feature a more recent fave, L.A. songwriter John Isaac Watters; his three self-released albums Parachute Tramps, Casas and Companas are always at my fingertips. John will be making a few rare appearances in New York on October 7 and 14 at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg, on October 8 at Bowery Electric and on October 21 at The Bell House in Brooklyn, opening for our old friend Dan Bern. If you catch any of these gigs be sure to tell him you heard him here first!

9.27.14 at 7:00am by Vin ScelsaSean Rowe (courtesy of the artist, Facebook.com)

At 8 tonight on "Idiot's Delight,"® we open with a musical meditation centered on some old harmonicas and we hear new music from a band called Ataloft. We'll also explore music from Sean Rowe (pictured), Sharon Van Etten, Warren Zevon, John Smith, Booker T. Jones and The 442s. I'll share a Rosh Hashanah email from a friend in Israel who writes of his summer spent living in a shelter underground as rockets raged over his home in Ashdod, dreaming of going to London to see Kate Bush in concert. Find out if he makes it ... tonight on "Idiot's Delight."®

9.20.14 at 7:16am by WFUV StaffThe Proclaimers (courtesy of the artist)

As summer draws to its end and Scotland votes to stay within the United Kingdom, on "Idiot's Delight"® tonight at 8, Vin Scelsa has chosen songs that meet at the crossroads of a busy week. So expect to hear The Proclaimers, Green Day, Mel Tormé, The Goastt (The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger), Leonard Cohen, Desert Noises and other selections from Studio V.

On "Idiot's Delight"® tonight at 8, the idea behind the opening set is to send on some Bob Dylan songs for President Obama's consideration following the juxtaposition this week of the 13th anniversary of 9/11 with the timing of the President's announcement regarding the increase of American military action against ISIS in the Middle East. I chose female performers to deliver the words because I think Mr. Obama, surrounded by women in his personal world, may be more open to hearing these thoughts and ideas expressed by them. I chose Bob Dylan (and one Robbie Robertson song) as a way of leading into Dylan's extraordinary live performance of "Isis" from 1975's Rolling Thunder Review. After all, the song preceded the current acronym by decades and the Egyptian goddess namesake has existed since around 2400 BC. Can we learn anything applicable to today's international political world from Dylan's old song about marriage?